Chapter 37

My older brother graduated from the advanced course and became a university student, while I became a sixth-grader.

Thinking that this would be the last time I would see him in his school uniform made me feel sad, so I had several photos taken with him.

The uniform of the advanced course at Mizukiri is really cool!

I asked him to wear it at home from time to time, but he refused...

I think it would be fine if he only wore it at home, though.

Yurie-sama and Aira-sama also advanced to the higher course, and Emperor Kudagari, who is now a high school student, seemed to be even further out of reach, which made me feel depressed.

It's too unrealistic for a high school student to consider a grade schooler as a romantic interest.

I think I should give up already, but this first love will last until Kudagari becomes a high school student, so there's no way I can give up at this point.

According to information from Aira-sama, Kudagari isn't stalking Yurie-sama, but when he can't see her, he sends heartfelt letters to appeal to her emotions. It seems he has developed a taste for it after it worked last time.

I became a sixth-grader, and since I will be taking the internal exam next year, even if it's just a formality, I started receiving tutoring.

My tutor is Ms. Hana Li from a national university.

She teaches me twice a week.

In the mock tests at the cram school, I rank from the upper middle to the lower upper. I think I'm doing well considering I'm among students from prestigious schools, but not being able to top the elementary school students is a bit concerning.

When I move on to middle school, math will become a monster. I need to work hard from now on.

Ms. Hana Li's teaching method is easy to understand, and my studies are progressing well. While cram school is good, one-on-one tutoring is better because I can get immediate help with what I don't understand.

I've been getting help from my older brother from time to time, but the atmosphere is different. Family members tend to be too lenient.

"Rika-san, you learn quickly. You've already come this far, that's impressive."

Ms. Hana Li often praises me like this.

She seems to be the type who encourages through praise.

And I'm the type who gets motivated and climbs the tree when praised and flattered, so I think we are a good match.

In the cram school's language and math classes, since that winter day, I have been sitting next to Aizawa-kun and Fukuhara-san.

Fukuhara-san is in the middle, with me and Aizawa-kun on either side. We can't put Aizawa-kun in the middle because Fukuhara-san wouldn't allow it.

Fukuhara-san and I have exchanged email addresses and have become quite close.

Fukuhara-san, a Japanese-style beauty, is surprisingly quite sharp-tongued.

This year on Valentine's Day, I gave homemade chocolates to Aoi-chan and Fukuhara-san.

At Mizukiri, it is customary to give store-bought, preferably high-end, chocolates on Valentine's Day, so this was the first time I gave homemade chocolates to anyone outside my family.

Last year, Aira-sama taught me how to make them, and my father even said they were the best he had ever tasted. This year, since Aira-sama was busy with the internal exam, I used the recipe she taught me last year and made the same chocolates on my own.

My older brother also said, "They're as good as last year."

So I gave them to the two of them with confidence.

Aoi-chan said, "They were delicious," but Fukuhara-san said, "They were a bit lacking..."

She said, "They're not bad, but the taste is a bit flat. Did you use cheap chocolate?" How rude! It's Belgian!

When I complained, she said, "Go apologize to Belgium." Fukuhara-san, the gap between your appearance and personality is too big...

By the way, I didn't give any to Aizawa-kun, not even as a friendship or obligation chocolate, because I was afraid Fukuhara-san would get angry.

In my mind, Fukuhara-san is someone I can't afford to make an enemy of.

Fukuhara-san is learning cooking to become Aizawa-kun's wonderful wife in the future.

Wow, Fukuhara-san. Your life planning is more solid than mine. It's so solid that it's a bit scary.

And Aizawa-kun, you really can't run away now. I can't help you because I'm also afraid of Fukuhara-san. Forgive me, my unreliable friend!

Fukuhara-san invited me to join her cooking class, but I declined, saying it would be too busy this year with the entrance exam.

When I told my older brother that I was told the taste was flat, he said, "It's more about the sentiment than the taste," giving me a somewhat awkward compliment.

When I move on to the middle school, I might consider joining the class...

Aoi-chan is currently my healing friend.

She seems shy and reserved, but she smiles a lot once we get close.

Aoi-chan is the kind of person who would never say something like "lacking." What a good girl.

And Aoi-chan gave me a keychain of a yam taro plushie as a souvenir from her New Year's trip to her grandfather's house! I was so happy!

I immediately attached it to my house key. We always have a maid at home, and someone to pick me up and drop me off, so I rarely use the key myself. But I carry it just in case.

The yam taro dangles from the key, and its pitiful face is very cute.

Aoi-chan's gift sense is amazing. She always gives me exactly what I want.

For the spring holiday, she even gave me a local limited-edition potato chip! The potato chip I had dreamed of! The one I couldn't buy because it was bulky!

Aoi-chan said shyly, "You might not eat this kind of thing, Yorin-in-san..." but I do! It's actually my favorite! I've wanted to eat it for six years!

I brought it back to my room without my mother and the others noticing and ate it secretly at night.

My body trembled with the nostalgic, cheap taste.

I wanted to savor it, so I carefully stored it to eat a little at a time, but the next day it was damp and I cried.

By the way, I call Aoi-chan "Aoi-chan" in my heart, but I call her "Taino-san" in front of her.

I don't have the courage to call her by her first name. What if she suddenly asks, "What's wrong?" It would be embarrassing.

These things are difficult to start.

My homeroom teacher asked me to be the class president. I declined because it's troublesome and I'm not good at leading, but she insisted that I could be the vice president, so I ended up accepting.

I think she intended to make me the vice president from the beginning. The male student who has been the class president several times was chosen as the president.

I've heard of a fraud technique where a big request is made first, and if it's refused, a smaller request is made to get it accepted.

I fell for it. In the end, I'm just the errand person again.

Indeed, I still have a glittery finger protector in my pencil case.

But this time, it's just within the class, so things are smoother without my nemesis.

Everyone is cooperative when I collect assignments, probably because they are afraid of the group of girls behind me.

The president even said, "As expected of Yorin-in-san." I don't feel praised.

It's like I'm being treated as a bodyguard applying pressure next to a debt collector.

This is strange. It's not supposed to be like this. I feel like I'm losing my elegance recently.