Chapter 70

Early December.

The two mock exams, the high-difficulty one and the third national one, were returned.

That Saturday.

Yugen and Arisa sighed as they looked at each other's score sheets.

"Once again, we lost... to Ayaka."

"Yeah... That guy is really something else."

Both Yugen and Arisa had been defeated by Ayaka.

In other words, Ayaka was ranked first in the school, with Yugen and Arisa in second and third, respectively.

Arisa gave Yugen a sidelong glance.

"By the way, Yugen, you're strange too... especially in English."

"Well, I can speak English pretty well to begin with. I can learn from my dad and grandpa."

Yugen's grandfather is of mixed American heritage.

Therefore, he speaks fluent English.

And Yugen's father, who was raised by such a grandfather, can also speak English.

Given this family background, it's natural that Yugen can speak English.

Of course, he's not a native speaker, so there are some mistakes.

Still, compared to other Japanese people, it's more familiar to him, giving him a significant advantage.

"That's great... I'm not very good at English."

"Looks like it."

Arisa has been putting a lot of effort into studying English, but her scores are not good.

In other words, it's her weak subject.

"I guess I just can't do it."

"Sure, you look like you can speak it."

Many Japanese people think all Caucasians can speak English.

Arisa has a typical look, so she seems like she should be good at English.

"I'm a mix of Russian and French, so I don't have any English elements. Besides, I was born and raised in Japan, so it's a bit of a problem to be expected to speak it."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Yugen wouldn't have known about such troubles if he hadn't been told.

In that sense, he's quite lucky.

"By the way, Arisa."

"What is it?"

"Are you free on Christmas Eve?"

Yugen's school has its closing ceremony on December 24th.

The ceremony itself ends in the morning, so...

If Arisa has no personal plans, they can spend the evening together.

"I have no plans. But... as fiancés, we should... spend it together, right?"

Arisa's cheeks turned slightly red as she said this.

Her expression made it seem like she had feelings for Yugen.

Yugen's heart thumped.

Since the day he talked with Kobayashi, he's been oddly aware of Arisa.

Yugen shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Is it okay if we spend the evening together?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to."

Arisa smiled.

It was a very cute and beautiful smile.

Would Arisa have answered the same way even if they weren't "fiancés"?

This thought crossed his mind.

"Where should we go? Should we go on a date? Maybe to an amusement park?"

"An amusement park? ...It might be very crowded."

"Yeah, that's true."

It doesn't seem like they can spend a relaxed time in a crowded place.

"Originally, it's supposed to be a day to spend with someone special, so let's have dinner at home."

"Sounds good..."

The words "someone special" made Yugen pause for a moment.

"But if we have dinner at home, it might be a burden for you..."

"Don't worry. ...I want you to try my home-cooked meal."

Thump, his heart beat.

Yugen couldn't help but look away from Arisa's beautiful eyes.

"Sure, if you insist, I'll enjoy it."

"By the way, Yugen..."

Arisa called Yugen's name with a serious tone.

Her emerald eyes looked at him intently.

"What is it?"

"What color do you like? ...In terms of fashion."

Why is she asking this all of a sudden?

Yugen wondered for a moment, but then he understood.

It's probably for a Christmas present.

It seems Arisa is going to make something again.

"Let's see... If it's jewelry, I like flashy ones. Like the one you gave me."

Yugen showed the leather bracelet Arisa had made him before.

He was wearing it today, along with his watch.

It's a fairly flashy color, so it doesn't look bad with the watch.

Arisa lowered her eyes, blushing.

"But if it's clothes, I prefer more subdued colors."

"Subdued colors?"

"Yeah. ...By the way, why are you asking?"

Yugen asked Arisa, half-teasingly.

Arisa shook her head and hands vigorously.

"N-nothing! Just out of curiosity!!"

Arisa, who denied it, looked very cute.

Yugen couldn't help but reach out and touch Arisa's head.

Arisa didn't push his hand away and accepted it.

He ran his fingers through her silky, light brown hair.

Arisa closed her eyes, looking comfortable.

"You're being mean, Yugen."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, right?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"...Just look forward to it."

"Sure, I am."

For a while, the two of them spent time like this.

As astute readers may have noticed, the setting of Yugen's high school is barely described in the story.

The only thing we know is that it's a private high school. Whether it's a standalone high school or a middle-high school combination is not mentioned at all.

This is not a major plot point... it's just that I haven't really thought about the school setting.

I've solidified the "home" setting, but since Yugen and Arisa don't do much at school, it hasn't been a problem.

Incidentally, there's no setting for the "uniform," which is probably the most important in a school romance. (Despite having a setting for the gym uniform)

If it becomes necessary on the web, I'll add it. Then it will be reflected in the book version. The web version can be changed secretly without anyone noticing...

To be honest, I didn't notice at all. If you're honest and say you didn't notice, please bookmark and rate (change the ☆☆☆☆☆ below the table of contents to ★★★★★).

Arisa's Dere Level: 65% → 75%

Yugen's Seriousness Level: 80% → 85%

If you're looking forward to the Dere Level and Seriousness Level, please bookmark and rate (change the ☆☆☆☆☆ below the table of contents to ★★★★★).