Now that the meetings had come to a close, students were now required to prepare for their upcoming regular exams, which were set to take place
from the end of the month until the beginning of the next.
With the preparations for Mahiru's birthday, his job, and the typical
pre-exam studying to juggle all at once, Amane now found himself with very little time to relax. However, it was by no means an unpleasant time for him. On the contrary, it brought him a sense of fulfillment.
"Man, this is so depressing. We've got meetings one day, and exam prep the next," Itsuki sighed as he gazed at the stack of exam preparation handouts kindly provided by their teacher.
Depending on the subject, some teachers would hand out summaries of topics covered in the exam as a way to encourage the students, which they would gratefully use. However, the sheer volume of these materials often
left many of them feeling overwhelmed. Just by looking at the amount of handouts, it was clear that there was a mountain of information to memorize due to the exam's wide scope.
"There's so much more pressure than last year. It's really making me worry about my grades now. It's a lot to handle… But even so, the scope this time around is brutal. Though I guess that's only to be expected with how fast-paced our classes have become."
"This is still way too much…" Just like everyone else, Chitose came over with a pile of handouts, showing a dejected expression that seemed unfitting for a young girl. Sitting next to her, Mahiru wore a bitter, wry smile. Amane deduced that Mahiru must have seen just how much Chitose was dreading the exam.
"No, like actually. I can't do iiit," Chitose groaned. "This can't be possible!"
"Yeah. I'm not really a fan of this either, I guess," Amane agreed. "Amane, you say that, but you always have really good grades and high marks…"
"Well, that's because I pay close attention in class," Amane replied. "Oof… Your confidence…. It's blinding…"
Despite Chitose acting so defeated, there wasn't much Amane could do besides help her study. Since one's scores ultimately reflected the daily effort they made to study, Chitose had no choice but to persevere on her own.
"You should really try working up a bit more motivation, Chitose… Math's the only subject that you obviously don't like," Amane suggested.
"But then what am I supposed to do? I don't have a clue how I can start liking it."
"The answer is different for everyone. Personally, I quite like math. At least with the topics we study, the answer can always be derived one way or another. They're like puzzles—and for me, it's fun to apply formulas that you've memorized to find the solutions."
"I guess I'm kind of the same way too," Itsuki chimed in.
"But I can't seem to derive the answers at all!" Chitose complained. "Try memorizing all the formulas first—then we'll talk," said Amane. "Hmphh!!" Chitose pouted.
"Chitose-san, your problem is that your fixation on your lack of ability is making you lose motivation to try. You don't usually struggle with memorization, so why can't you remember the formulas for math?"
"Just seeing numbers makes me go 'Ugh!'"
"U-Um, I don't believe I can help with that…"
At this point, Chitose's aversion to math was so strong that it could almost be called an allergy. Mahiru, who had taken on the role of her tutor, looked helplessly over at Amane, silently pleading for assistance with a troubled look.
Without any effort and motivation from Chitose herself, Amane believed it would be impossible for her to make any progress. The only solution at hand was to find a way to spark her enthusiasm.
"Let's start by making you memorize the formulas that'll definitely appear on the exam. Once you get the basics down, it should at least keep you from failing. I don't want to see a friend end up in remedial class hell."
"Noooo!!" Chitose cried. "Don't start. You're doing it."
"Uwaaah! Mommy Mahirun, Daddy's being mean to me!" Chitose cried once more. She clung onto Mahiru tightly, but given her taller stature, she hardly looked like a child. However, she was clearly and deliberately acting the part.
"I don't recall having a huge kid like you. Also, don't cling to Mahiru," Amane urged.
"You jelly?" Chitose returned. "Sure, sure. Totally."
"…I'll give in if you admit you're jelly."
"Is it just me or are you having fun with this?" "It's just in your head," Chitose replied, grinning.
She was very clearly enjoying the situation, and it was no surprise that Amane suddenly felt a headache creeping up. In stark contrast to her earlier childish tantrum, Chitose's attitude was now extremely playful as she casually turned her body away.
Chitose then muttered, "So you didn't deny the part about you being husband and wife," under her breath. Amane immediately shot her a sharp glare, effectively silencing her. As he filed away the stack of handouts they'd been given, he let out a quiet sigh.
Amane checked his schedule on his phone, mentally organizing his plans. As he didn't have any shifts today, he could take it easy.
Just as he did so, Chitose suddenly asked, "By the way, what are you gonna do with your job? We have exams and stuff."
"Well, for now I've put my name down like usual. I try to keep up with my studies every day, and I've taken the day before and the day of the test off for any final preparations."
"You seem confident you can handle it."
"I have Mahiru to thank for that. She's been teaching me a bunch of stuff at home, and she's really good at explaining things."
Although being good at studying didn't necessarily equal being a good teacher, Mahiru excelled at both. She was exceptionally skilled at teaching topics clearly.
Thanks to her thoroughly grasping the material ahead of time, Mahiru understood the key points of each problem and could accurately pinpoint where someone might be struggling. She would then provide examples and hints to guide them towards finding the solution themselves. While subjects that focused heavily on memorization tended to reward those who made the effort to study constantly, for any other subject, Mahiru's meticulous explanations ironed out any topics that Amane had issues with.
"That's how it was for me, but to understand things quickly, you first need to have a solid understanding of the basics—a foundation," Amane explained further.
"That's why we call it a foundation," Mahiru added. "It is something you build upon."
"Quit telling me the painful truth!" Chitose groaned.
If that's painful, then you only have yourself to blame—was something Amane deemed too harsh to say. Nevertheless, Chitose must have sensed what Amane was thinking from the look he gave her. She responded with a deflated expression, as if all the energy had been drained from her.
"Also, I have a senior at work who's great at studying, so I get a bit of help from him when it's slow. I really think you've got to have friends, Mahiru, and a senior helping you out."
"Ugh… My brother can't study to save his life… He won't be of any use at all."
"He'd probably cry if he heard that, Chi," Itsuki teased.
"He's made me cry plenty of times before, so this much is no problem!" As if saying, 'Good grief. With brothers and sisters, you never know what's gonna happen next,' Chitose shrugged and made a waving gesture with her hands. Amane guessed that she likely had plenty of her own thoughts about the subject.
Although Amane knew that Chitose had a very good relationship with her family, so there was nothing to worry about on that front, he was still somewhat concerned about her grades. He silently prayed that she would find the motivation to improve.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
"Your schedule's packed. Sure you've got it covered?" Itsuki asked, concerned.
The group had split off, with the boys and girls each acting separately. Amane and Itsuki both stayed behind in the classroom while Chitose had taken Mahiru to a nearby store. As Amane wanted to discuss his plans face-to-face with Itsuki, he'd asked Chitose to inconspicuously bring Mahiru elsewhere. But given her worries about the upcoming exams, he was quite concerned about taking up too much of her time.
Amane nodded. "Yeah, I'll manage one way or the other. At this rate, I should be able to keep balancing things just fine, and it's turning out to be a valuable experience."
"Ah, the power of love…" "Oh, shut up."
"Sure, sure."
This kind of exchange had long become a routine for them, and after quickly brushing it off, Amane checked to make sure there was no one around who might overhear and potentially leak the conversation to Mahiru before moving onto the main topic.
"By the way, do you think you can handle what I've asked?"
Amane had relied on Itsuki plenty of times before, but this time, besides helping with preparations, he had also asked him to do something only he was capable of. Wanting to give Mahiru as much joy as possible on her special day, Amane entrusted Itsuki with a certain special request—one made possible only by where Itsuki worked and what his job entailed.
"I mean, sure, I can do it, but my manager would definitely do a better job of it than me."
"You might be right. But even so, I want you to do it."
Of course, Amane understood that a professional could do a better job than Itsuki.
Even so, Amane wanted him to do it.
Amane had said that sincerely, but in return, Itsuki pulled a strange face. His cheeks and lips tweaked oddly, then he let out a deep sigh. It was still far too early for the sun to set, but his cheeks reflected a color reminiscent of the sun's evening glow.
"…You really had to say that, huh?" Itsuki complained. "Yep. I really had to say that."
"Ugh. Do you have no shame? Damn it, this is embarrassing me now." "Ha ha ha."
"You piss me off, man."
"Get as pissed as you want… I trust you, so I'm counting on you here." "You already know I can't betray that trust, damn it. Fine, whatever. I'll
do my best to meet your expectations." "Sure. Thanks."
Itsuki's willingness to do everything he could for someone else, whether it was for Mahiru or Amane, was something Amane truly felt proud of and was grateful for. Despite all the teasing, Amane genuinely appreciated how Itsuki always acted out of his best interests. He could never thank him enough.
Amane thanked him from the bottom of his heart, but Itsuki, feeling neither anger nor dissatisfaction, began to frown sulkily and heaved yet another sigh. He deliberately gave an exaggeratedly irritated look as if to hide his embarrassment.
"…Seriously though, it's like you would do anything for Shiina-san.
You're incredibly dedicated to all this, maybe even audacious." "Audacious? I'll take that as a compliment."
Normally, one might take that negatively, but that wasn't necessarily the case. It could also be taken positively. It showed that Itsuki recognized Amane had grown confident enough to boldly ask for help.
I really have changed. Before, I never would have even considered seeking help from others like this, Amane thought nostalgically as he reflected on Itsuki's words. Itsuki watched him with a complicated expression, to which Amane looked back at him while wearing his typical smile.
"I'll admit that I'm being audacious, but I won't take it for granted. You're always helping me out, so the next time you're in trouble, I'll definitely be there to listen. If there is anything I can do to help, I will have it done… If you're willing to lend a helping hand, then I will ensure to return the favor."
Sure, Itsuki would tease and make fun of Amane, but he was always there watching over him, lending a hand when needed. If Itsuki ever found himself in a place of trouble, it would only be natural for Amane to reach out and help him up, just as Itsuki had done for him.
"…One day, I'll lean on you so hard I'll bring you down with me." "I'm working out, so there's no way you can make me fall." "…How clever of you."
"Ha ha." So I've been dancing in the palm of his hand this entire time, Amane thought, chuckling lightly. As the embarrassed Itsuki looked away and diverted his gaze out the window, Amane too looked away for a brief moment.
"So, do you think we can all match our schedules?" They both stayed quiet for some time, gently immersing themselves in the tranquility around them. However, as they couldn't very well sit in silence forever, Amane brought up the topic that they had originally intended to discuss. Though the favor he asked of Itsuki was an important one indeed, the requests he had for their other friends were equally as significant.
"Chi and I can make it," Itsuki answered. "I'll check with Yuuta soon, but he should be fine. As for Kido, well, you're closer to her than I am. I think it would be faster for you to ask her yourself."
"Okay, got it… I can only hope that she's free, though." "She'll probably come since it's for Shiina-san."
"But if she really can't make it, then we'll have to manage with whoever is available. I don't want to inconvenience anyone."
"I doubt they'd see it as an inconvenience. We're all friends here, and it's not every day that you ask us all for help. Once they realize that they can make you owe them one, I'm sure they'll be happy to lend a hand."
"…I hope so." Even without being told, Amane could tell that Itsuki deliberately added that little joke to tease him even further. He couldn't help but laugh to hide his awkwardness. Itsuki, exasperated, sighed and added,
"That's exactly what I mean," before bumping his fist against Amane's shoulder.
"Are you really sure, though? Chitose and everyone else might want to celebrate on the actual day too."
Just in case, Amane had asked Mahiru a while ago if it was okay to tell Chitose and their other friends about her birthday, to which she agreed. When asking for their help, Amane gave them a quick rundown on the situation. The issue was that the favor he had asked of them would essentially result in Amane keeping Mahiru's special day all to himself. This meant that everybody else would have to delay their individual celebrations for her birthday.
"Do you think everyone would be okay with that?"
Noticing Amane's concerns, Itsuki responded with the single phrase: "You're such an idiot," dismissing all of his worries in one blow.
"At the very least, Shiina-san's priorities lie with…well, this might sound bad to say, but her happiness is tied to you, Amane. Chi also said, 'What matters most is that Mahirun is happy,' and I'm of the same opinion. Also…"
"What?"
"She then said, 'I'll let the boyfriend be her number one.'" "Who does that girl think she is…"
Amane couldn't help but burst into laughter at how Chitose made it sound as though Mahiru belonged to her. Nonetheless, he felt genuine happiness knowing that Mahiru had become such an important person to Chitose.
Initially, Mahiru much preferred to stay alone—she even actively avoided building close friendships. But now, she had a friend she could trust.
That was undoubtedly a source of great happiness for Mahiru. And for Amane, it was the same.
"Then, don't mind if I take the place as her number one."
Feeling truly grateful for all his friends' consideration and kindness, Amane accepted their feelings wholeheartedly. Itsuki nodded at him fondly, as if thinking that this was exactly how things should be.
"All that's left is for me to do what I can."