Following Chisato's method of teaching—answer what you know, look up what you don't, and skip what you absolutely can't figure out—Kazusa finally finished the two sets of practice exams after two hours.
She had originally planned to just rush through and fill in random answers to get it over with.
But whether it was out of embarrassment or simply not wanting to look like a fool in front of someone she liked, she ended up taking it seriously.
Despite how painful the process was, she forced herself to carefully complete both exams to the best of her ability.
The moment she finished, Kazusa felt an overwhelming sense of relief, like a heavy burden had been lifted.
She collapsed onto the floor, lying down as if her brain had been completely drained, not wanting to think about anything else.
"Good job. You finished quicker than I expected. Let me take a look."
Chisato took her completed exams and began to grade them.
Kazusa, after lying down for a while, sat up and grabbed the pudding Chisato had brought. As she ate, she watched him mark her papers.
At first, her attention was completely focused on Chisato's face as he graded.
In class, she could only sneak glances at him by pretending to sleep, her hair covering her eyes.
Now, she could observe him up close, and it made her heart race even faster.
However, when she saw him marking one wrong answer after another, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Even with the ability to look things up in books, she still got so many wrong. It was a bit humiliating.
"Not bad! You did a lot better than I expected."
Chisato smiled with satisfaction as he finished grading. One exam scored 62, and the other 70.
But Kazusa felt like he was teasing her. To get such low scores in Japanese and world history, even with access to books, made her feel embarrassed.
Kazusa didn't show any sign of happiness. Instead, she let out a cold huff and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
Chisato was puzzled. He was sure he had just given her a compliment.
Was she misunderstanding him? Or maybe she was embarrassed by how straightforward his praise was and was pretending to be indifferent?
Oh well, it didn't matter.
"Alright, let's go over the mistakes you made," Chisato said as he sat down next to Kazusa, spreading the test papers out like a dedicated teacher.
He began explaining the mistakes she had made.
At first, Kazusa was startled by how close he was, instinctively leaning to the side, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
But as she watched him seriously point out her errors and explain the concepts, she found herself drawn in again.
Smart people are always admired, and this principle easily extends to romance as well. The only exceptions are if the person is unattractive or has a bad personality.
Chisato had neither of those flaws. In fact, quite the opposite—his looks and personality were top-tier.
In addition, Kazusa caught a faint scent, like fresh laundry.
It was the same smell she had noticed when they played the piano together before. She liked it; it was comforting and familiar.
"Are you listening?" Chisato asked, noticing she hadn't responded.
"I'm listening, Mr. Chisato," Kazusa replied casually.
At some point, her expression had changed, a small smile forming at the corner of her lips as if she was thinking about something pleasant.
"Alright, let's keep going."
"Could you speed it up a little?" she asked, changing her posture.
She rested her arm on the table and propped her chin in her hand, her dark hair spilling onto the desk.
"I'm getting a bit hungry."
"You just had fried rice not too long ago."
"I'm still hungry. Solving problems takes a lot of energy. Besides, do you even know what time it is?"
Chisato glanced at his phone—it was past noon, about lunchtime.
With a small sigh, he relented. "Alright, if you focus, we'll try to finish in 20 minutes."
"Got it."
Though she sighed softly, Kazusa couldn't deny that she was in an exceptionally good mood today.
Studying was a bit of a pain, but everything she had been looking forward to kept happening, one thing after another. If possible, she wished every day could be like this.
After finishing the study session, Kazusa quickly tidied up the desk. The least enjoyable part of her day was over, and now it was her turn to take control.
Chisato rolled up his sleeves and headed to the kitchen.
Compared to his small fridge, Kazusa's was a treasure trove, stocked with fresh fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of meat.
With her permission, he took out a premium cut of Wagyu beef, sliced it, and prepared a simple hotpot with spinach, mushrooms, and konnyaku noodles.
It was accompanied by raw egg dipping sauce and freshly cooked rice.
The meal was incredibly satisfying for both of them.
Then, it was time for what Kazusa had been eagerly anticipating.
She was excited to lead the top student, who she secretly admired, into her domain, reversing their roles so that she could be the one teaching him.
"What the…?" Chisato muttered, clearly shocked.
Kazusa, proud of his reaction, straightened up, her loose shirt doing little to hide her impressive figure.
They were now in the basement music room of Kazusa's house.
Besides the grand piano that dominated the space, the room was filled with a variety of instruments—drums, violins, guitars, basses, saxophones, and more.
The most impressive sight, however, was the lavish display cabinet, filled with countless awards.
Next to each award was a photo of Kazusa at different ages, holding different instruments.
It was clear that these instruments weren't just decorations—Kazusa had truly mastered them, and her skills had earned her recognition in competitions.
Chisato's expression grew complicated. Music was different from studying.
It wasn't something you could master just by using your brain.
Each instrument had its own techniques, and mastering even one was an impressive feat. Could someone really be this talented?
On the other hand, Kazusa, now in her comfort zone, relaxed like a bird returning to its nest. She sat lazily at the piano, her posture and expression calm and at ease.
"What are you spacing out for?" she asked, smiling as she patted the spot next to her.
"Come on, it's time for your lesson, dummy~"
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