Chapter 67

After two more days, the test day finally arrived. The first day was the most important, with tests in the three main subjects. Yuki went to bed early the day before to be in top form for the tests.

Rui, who had been acting strangely, seemed to have been told something by Rion and had started studying in her room, which was unusual for her. Thanks to this, Yuki could study without being disturbed at home, and with the copy of Rion's notes, she was able to study very effectively.

As usual, Yuki went to school and made her way to her seat. The classroom was quieter than usual, as it was just before the test. Mii, who usually greeted her or said something, was flipping through her notes frantically and was glued to her desk. She seemed so engrossed that Yuki couldn't help but peek over.

"Is that the notes from Rion?"

"Don't bother me, I'm trying to concentrate right now!"

Mii looked desperate, but the test was only a few minutes away. She must have been trying to cram until the last moment. She had seemed quite relaxed over the past few days, but now she was surprisingly serious.

After the homeroom, the students rearranged their seats in numerical order for the test. Yuki was at the front, while Mii was at the back, so Yuki couldn't see what Mii was doing after that. When Yuki stood up from her seat, she could hear Mii muttering, "Oh no, oh no..." but decided to focus on the test papers that were being distributed.

The tests in the three main subjects were over, and the classroom returned to its usual noisy state. While others were discussing their test results, Yuki quietly returned to her usual seat by the window.

This time, despite the short preparation period, she felt quite good about her performance. The notes from Rion were especially helpful, as they were well-organized and concise.

School was over for the day, but there would be more tests next week after the weekend, so Yuki couldn't let her guard down. As she was packing her bag, Mii came back to her seat, and Yuki asked her right away.

"How did it go?"

"Pretty good... I guess."

Mii nodded repeatedly but avoided eye contact, looking suspiciously nervous. She then started to pack up to leave early, which was unusual for her.

"Because I have to study..."

"Hmm? You're not going to ask Rion for help anymore?"

"Rion is irrelevant now!"

Mii seemed to have a strong aversion to the mention of Rion and snapped back. She grabbed her packed bag and said,

"Hmph, just do your best, Rion."

With that, she left the classroom hurriedly.

After the weekend, all the tests were over, and the school returned to regular classes. During the test period, Yuki and Mii were seated far apart, and with Mii's competitive spirit, they barely spoke to each other. Reflecting on it, Yuki realized that they usually met or communicated on weekends, so this was a bit unusual. But Mii was probably in the middle of a "battle" and didn't want to be friendly.

It seemed Mii thought Yuki and Rion were teaming up, which wasn't entirely a misunderstanding. Rion was still enthusiastic about helping Mii, but Yuki just wanted to get through the tests smoothly. She hoped to help mend the relationship between the two after the tests were over.

On the first day, the tests in the three main subjects were returned. In the first class, the Japanese test results were returned. Yuki scored 82 points, which was a decent score for her.

"How did Mii do?"

Yuki asked the person next to her, but Mii, who had just received her test paper, didn't say a word and looked at her desk with a serious expression. Mii had folded the top third of her test paper and folded the corner to hide her score, almost like she was making a flyer. Yuki asked again,

"Hey, Mii?"

"Curry rice."

"Score."

It seemed Mii was in her own world, and she remained frozen, staring at the corner of her desk. Yuki watched her, and Mii occasionally twitched but didn't respond. Eventually, Mii ignored Yuki completely and didn't say a word until the end of the class.

By lunchtime, the English and math tests were also returned, making a total of three tests. Each time, Mii acted the same way, as if she had forgotten about the test competition. Yuki felt frustrated that the matter was being ignored, so as soon as the fourth class ended, she approached Mii again.

"Hey, what about the competition? Are we going to compare all the scores at once after they're returned?"

Mii tried to ignore her and put away her test papers, but Yuki stopped her. Mii flinched and, in her attempt to pull away, the part of the paper with her score tore off. Yuki saw a "5" on the left side of the torn piece and gasped. In the awkward silence, Mii suddenly slumped over her desk, making muffled groans and kicking her feet.

After a while, Mii's outburst subsided, but she didn't lift her head. Yuki gently patted her back, and Mii slowly raised her head, smiling as if she had found some solace.

"Yuki... I..."

"I got 90 in math. Show me your Japanese test."

"You're a demon."

When Yuki said this mercilessly, Mii's expression turned serious. Despite this, Yuki continued to look at Mii's hand.

"What did you get? You need to do the math properly."

"Fine! I admit I lost! Just stop, please!"

Mii put her hands together and bowed repeatedly, suddenly surrendering. Yuki was taken aback but accepted Mii's surrender, as the result wouldn't have changed even if they had continued.

"Are you sure you're okay with me winning? Here, the ticket."

"Ticket? Rising Dragon Punch?"

"No, that's not it."

Yuki corrected her, and Mii, for some reason, opened her bag and took out a Tupperware container, offering it to Yuki. Yuki, not understanding the context, pushed it back.

"What? You don't want it? It has delicious cookies inside."

"Why are you suddenly offering cookies? You're trying to distract me, aren't you?"

It seemed Mii had anticipated this outcome and had prepared the cookies in advance. Despite this, Mii rummaged through her bag again and said,

"Fine... here, take this."

She took out another Tupperware container, opened it, and showed Yuki the inside, which was filled with four onigiri.

"I knew you'd do this."

"They have sesame in them."

"So what?"

Yuki remained calm, and Mii, realizing she couldn't bluff, made a teasing face.

"But, Yuki, you must have really wanted Mii's 'do-as-you-please' ticket to work so hard."

"I didn't feel like I worked that hard."

Mii had essentially self-destructed. The notes from Rion had been very helpful, and Yuki doubted she could have done well without them.

"Where's the ticket?"

"Okay, okay, I get it!"

Mii, who had suggested the idea in the first place, was now half-angry. She took out a colored notebook, tore off a piece, and quickly wrote "do-as-you-please ticket" on it.

"But, a 'do-as-you-please' ticket from a high school girl sounds pretty dangerous. It sounds like a crime."

"You suggested it, didn't you?"

Yuki held out her hand, demanding the ticket. Mii hesitated but, after a meaningful glance at Yuki, pushed the ticket into her hand. Yuki held it up to the light, examining it.

(This is the 'do-as-you-please' ticket...)

It was so poorly made that it could easily be forged. If it fell on the floor, Yuki would have thrown it away without a second thought. She considered tearing it up in front of Mii but decided to consult Rion first. She had a feeling Mii would flip out if she did that, maybe even throw the onigiri.

(Throwing onigiri like a monster...)

The thought made Yuki smile. Mii, noticing this, asked,

"What are you imagining, smiling like that?"

"Secret."

"Secret... I, I just want to say, no means no, even if you say 'do as you please.'"

"What do you mean by 'no means no'?"

Yuki turned to Mii with a serious face, and Mii's face turned red as she struggled to find words.

"Nothing!"

Mii stormed out of the classroom, leaving Yuki with the onigiri button.