Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e - Volume 6 - Chapter 6.2

6.2

SINCE WE ALL LIVED in the same dormitory, we walked back together. Fiddling with his phone, Yukimura recorded today’s progress.

“It’s been a long time since I studied this hard!” Hasebe said. “Six hours in class, plus another two hours afterward, right? There’s gotta be, like, almost no students in the world who have to study that much, huh?”

“Those Class C students interrupted us and wasted our time, though,” said Miyake.

“But we didn’t let them throw us off. We studied hard today!” replied Hasebe.

An irritated look flashed across Yukimura’s face at their happy chatter. “You’ve got to be joking. When university entrance exams begin, you’ll need to study for at least three hours after class. Four hours, if you can manage it. And I mean every day. When exams are close, you’ll want to study ten hours a day on your own.”

“Huuuh? No way, no way! There’s no way I can study like that. Come on, you know that, Yukimuu,” said Hasebe.

“My older sister is a teacher. She always studied that much before an exam as her usual routine.”

“Well, maybe you just come from a really elite lineage! Yukimuu, are you thinking of becoming a teacher?”

“There’s nothing particularly ‘elite’ about becoming a teacher. And no, I’m not planning on it. If I wanted that, why would I come to a school like this, one unlike any others in the world?”

Yukimura had a point. The path to becoming an instructor was not a simple one, though it wasn’t quite as challenging as taking up law or becoming a CPA. Besides, if you wanted to be a teacher, there wasn’t any particular benefit in specifically choosing this school. He was already an adept student to begin with.

“So, why did you come here?”

“It doesn’t really matter. Do you want to ask everyone why they decided to enroll? If you had someone trying to pry into your business, you’d understand how it feels,” said Yukimura.

He was clearly trying to shoot Hasebe down, but unfortunately, his response appeared to have the opposite effect. Hasebe didn’t look particularly upset. Rather, she volunteered her own life story.

“To be honest, I got interested in the school because of the promotional advertising they ran, you know? I mean, advancing to higher education or getting a good job just because you graduated from here? Who wouldn’t choose this place? Isn’t that good enough for most people?” she said.

“On top of that, a lot of people also enroll here because it’s free. We don’t even have to pay for our dorms, and the campus is set up so that we can survive without using any points. Right now, I appreciate that more than any guarantees after graduation,” said Miyake.

“Don’t you think that’s kind of lame? I mean, being able to go to university or get a job anywhere is incredible,” said Hasebe.

“Look, talk about your dreams after we’re done with the final exam. The system you expect great things from won’t do anything for you if you don’t graduate from Class A, Hasebe,” said Yukimura.

“There’s gotta be some kind of bonus, though, right?” she replied. “Like, maybe the school lied about how only Class A wins. If we manage to graduate, who’s to say we can’t do whatever we want?” 

“That’s not very likely. If that were the case, we’d have heard about it, and I’ve heard nothing of the sort, not even during club activities. Besides, the second and third-year Class D students seem pretty miserable,” said Miyake. 

He had a point. I wasn’t a part of any clubs, so I couldn’t say what was going on there, but I’d sensed no drive or ambition from the third-year Class D student I met earlier in the year.

“This school is controlled by the state, mind you. If we don’t make it to Class A, graduating from this school could even have a negative impact on our careers or paths to higher education. That’s why I absolutely must graduate from Class A,” said Yukimura.

“Ah, wow. That’d be the worst,” agreed Hasebe.

Good colleges looked for people who’d attended prestigious schools and boasted impressive personal accomplishments. However, as far as the Advanced Nurturing High School was concerned, you were a defective product if you graduated from anything other than Class A. Universities and corporations had to know that about our school. Students like Ike, who were terrible at academics, lent credence to this idea. The entrance requirements for this school had nothing to do with standardized scores.

“Miyacchi, you’ve really committed to this study group, huh? And here I thought you’d quit right away,” said Hasebe.

“Well, don’t you think it’s odd that you’re still here? You usually don’t want anything to do with anyone,” said Miyake.

“Well, sure. But if it’s a study group with you three, it’s all right,” she replied. It se3emed like she had something on her mind.

“Hasebe, do you mind if I ask you a question?” I said.

“Hmm?”

“Are you and Satou close?”

“Satou-san? No, not especially. I don’t really like big groups, anyway. If you’re curious about her, shouldn’t you ask Karuizawa-san?” 

If I could do that, I wouldn’t be this stressed out. I didn’t want to talk about this with anyone too close to Satou.

“So?”

“Well…”

I couldn’t tell Hasebe the truth. Yukimura noticed that I was in trouble and spoke up. “I understand why you’re concerned,” he told me. “She’s your partner. Not knowing her strengths and weaknesses has to be nerve-racking.”

“Ah, yeah,” added Hasebe. “That’s right, you did say you guys were paired together.”

“Satou and I don’t have anything in common, so I can’t just talk to her,” I replied.

Hasebe put her hands together, as if offering condolences. However, she seemed to have a new idea. “If it’s hard to ask Karuizawa-san, why not try asking Kyo-chan? She and Satou-san are close.”

“Huh? Kyo-chan?” I didn’t recall ever hearing that nickname before.

“I’m talking about Kikyou-chan. You hang out with her a lot, don’t you, Ayanokouji-kun?”

She got “Kyo-chan” from “Kikyou,” huh? I didn’t really get it, but she’d cleared it up for me. This particular task certainly suited Kushida. She knew a lot about the class’s internal affairs. If it weren’t for the issue with Horikita, I wouldn’t have hesitated to ask her for help. However, I doubted that she was someone I could rely on.

Miyake added his two cents. “Yeah. Asking Karuizawa might be one thing, but Kushida should be good, right? She gets along with everyone, doesn’t she, Hasebe?”

“Mm-hmm. There’re a lot of girls I hate, but I like Kyo-chan. She does so much for the class without even batting an eye, and she’s always cheerful. Normally, I don’t like talking to other people, but Kyo-chan is special. She actually listens to you, and she’d never ever go around telling others what you said.”

“Even you have stresses you need to unload on her, huh?” said Miyake.

“Rude, Miyacchi. Young maidens have lots of things to talk about,” said Hasebe.

“What kinds of things?”

“Why should I tell you? You’d definitely spill the beans to everyone.”

“Would not. Well, probably not. Depends on what it is.”

Wasn’t it obvious that no one would discuss their troubles with someone who said stuff like that?

“If you’re worried about anything, it’s probably best to discuss it with Kushida,” Yukimura told me.

“Right?” agreed Hasebe. “I don’t know whether you like Satou-san or not, but if you told Kushida-san, she definitely wouldn’t let it slip.”

“What? You like Satou, Ayanokouji?” said Miyake.

“I didn’t say anything like that. I just asked whether Hasebe was close to Satou, that’s all.”

“Isn’t that kind of suspicious, though?” said Hasebe. “You haven’t exactly been tight with Satou-san until now, right?”

“Ayanokouji said that he was worried about Satou because they’re partners. Did you already forget that?” countered Miyake.

Hasebe didn’t back down. “Because of the way he asked, it just feels like there’s more to it, y’know?”

Girls had a powerful radar for secrets that I couldn’t comprehend. I just couldn’t beat feminine intuition.

“That reminds me. Is it okay if we swing by the convenience store real quick?” Miyake’s proposal derailed the conversation. Thank goodness. 

Kushida was clearly a vital asset that Class D couldn’t afford to lose. From the very beginning, she’d been involved in everything. Without boasting, she dedicated herself to supporting other students, and now she was seeing the fruits of her labor. She was a distinct character, and one of the strongest members of Class D. Everyone in our class liked her. When someone wasn’t present, people usually griped about them, so it was remarkable to hear only good things said about Kushida in her absence.

“Ah, yeah. I need to make a stop for some treats, too. Come on, guys,” said Hasebe.

“You’re such a child,” said Yukimura. Still, he joined them.