The Classmate Who Is Adored by Everyone Smiles Teasingly Only at Me-Volume 2 SS 1 - Test Results

SS 1

Test Results

*Chapter 2.5

Sōma was heading home alone after school, trudging along as he intently stared at the strip of paper in his hand, which resembled a tanzaku.

The paper was lined with subject names and two-digit numbers.

At the high school Sōma attended, they would hand out a summary of the test results to students after the regular exams. The strip of paper in his hand contained all of Sōma’s midterm test results.

“…”

Looking at the string of numbers, Sōma’s face couldn’t have been more sour.

It was as if he had just been forced to swallow an incredibly powdered bitter medicine.

“What’s with these results?”

He muttered to himself unintentionally.

The numbers written there were unacceptable to Sōma.

‘Not good. This was very bad. Absolutely unacceptable.’

He felt like disputing the results with his teacher, suspecting there is some kind of mistake.

And more importantly,

“I definitely can’t show this to Chika.”

“What is it that you can’t show me?”

“Whoa!”

Sōma was so startled by Chika’s voice suddenly ringing in his ear that his heart nearly leapt out of his mouth.

“Chika! Why are you here? I thought you already went home with Saito earlier.”

He had seen Chika leaving with a classmate who took great joy in escorting her, which was why he had let his guard down.

As he casually tried to stuff the test results into his pocket while asking, Chika showed an innocent smile and said,

“That was the plan, but Miki-chan had to go to the supermarket because her mom asked her to run an errand. So, she told me to have Sōma-san take me home instead.”

“Huh? Why do I have to do something like that—”

Just as he was about to say he shouldn’t have to, his smartphone in his uniform pocket rang.

『Take Chika home. No acting like ‘A wolf in sheep’s clothing’ is allowed. However, ‘kabe-don’ (wall slamming) and ‘ago-kui’ (chin lifting) are permitted, in fact, encouraged. If you do them, make sure to report the details properly.』

That was the message from Miki.

“That shoujo manga idiot…! Why do I have to report to her?”

It seems that the Saito Miki who had been fussing about him staying away from Chika was no longer around.

“Sorry, but I refuse. I’m going straight home to de-stress by baking a cake today.”

“Then, shall I take you home, Sōma-san?”

“Why?”

Sōma frowned in response to Chika’s smile as she suggested something preposterous.

“Because it’s not good for you to go home feeling lonely.”

“Alright, I get it. I’ll take you home.”

It seemed like she would keep insisting if he refused, so he decided to give in quickly.

Once she has made up her mind, this girl possesses a stubbornness that is not easily swayed.

“Well then, let’s go——”

…This is bad.

As Chika began walking cheerfully, Sōma walked beside her while sweating profusely on the inside.

Normally, even though he would complain about the hassle of walking Chika home, he wouldn’t outright refuse it. But the timing couldn’t be worse today.

He had to avoid bringing up that topic at all costs.

“By the way, what you were looking at earlier was the test results, right? Sōma-san, how did you do this time?”

However, Chika touched on the very topic he wished to avoid as if she had read his mind.

“I don’t want to tell you.”

“Eh, come on, you should tell me.”

When he turned away in refusal, Chika let out a voice like a sulking child.

“Test scores are totally private information.”

“But we’re close, aren’t we, Sōma-san?”

“There’s a saying, ‘Even among close friends, courtesy matters’.”

“I don’t want to hear such sound arguments. I just want to know your test scores!”

“No, listen to reason because it is reason.”

Chika was persistent, but Sōma also stubbornly refused. He didn’t want her to find out his test scores no matter what.

“Hmm, you really have no intention of telling me?”

Then, the look in Chika’s eyes as she stared at him became bewitching and sharp.

“Hey, what…?”

She closed the distance until their shoulders were nearly touching.

“Which do you prefer, a ‘kabe-don’ or an ‘ago-kui’?”

“Huh? Why are you the one saying that?”

“It’s what Miki-chan told me before we parted. If Sōma-san becomes stubborn, she said I should just do it.”

“That girl! Did she tell both me and Chika the same thing?!”

Moreover, it seems she was okay with either being on the giving or receiving end.

“She also said to make sure to take a selfie if I do it.”

“A selfie, you say…!”

The moment he heard that word, his heart ached.

It was a traumatic word for Sōma, a forbidden phrase that evoked a shameful and dark history.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

Holding his chest, he shook his head vigorously.

“I hate selfies. Seriously, I hate them.”

He’d rather reveal his test scores than take a selfie.

“Then, please show me.”

Seeing Chika’s hand reaching for his chin, Sōma resigned himself. He pulled the crumpled sheet of test results from his pocket and thrust it at Chika.

“Yay. Let’s see…?”

Chika unfolded the piece of paper and let out a surprised voice while maintaining a close distance.

“Huh? Didn’t you say your grades were average last time? These are quite good scores, especially in classics, English, and mathematics. You’ve scored much better than me in those subjects.”

The ‘kabe-don’ and “ago-kui’, as well as selfies, were all things he disliked, but there was something else related to the test results that he desperately didn’t want to be noticed.

‘Please don’t notice’. He prayed fervently in his mind.

Unfortunately, Sōma’s prayers didn’t reach the heavens.

“Hmm? Classics, English, and mathematics? These are all the subjects we studied together?”

She noticed it rather quickly.

That’s right. For some reason, the grades for the subjects in which he interacted with Chika were good.

In classics, he was hugged from behind, and he couldn’t help but savor the feeling of Chika’s chest against the back of his head.

For English and mathematics, they exchanged selfies in their pajamas after discussing our studies over the phone. The photo Chika sent him at that time was incredibly borderline dangerous.

Both had the greatest impact on his life.

Even if he tried to forget it, the images were firmly etched in his mind and seemed unforgettable.

And perhaps because of that shock, the subjects he studied at that time were firmly retained in his memory.

He was able to breeze through those three subjects thanks to that. No, they just solved themselves.

“I see. Sōma-san, you did well in those three subjects.”

While looking at the test results, Chika muttered thoughtfully and then continued with a serious face.

“That means your grades will improve if you study with me?”

“No, absolutely not. That’s definitely not the case.”

He denied it with all his might.

If anything, she was a huge distraction. During the tests for Classics, English, and mathematics, he also involuntarily flashed back to the sensation of Chika’s chest and her lewd pajama appearance every time he recalled what he had studied, which made it quite a struggle.

“Eh, but I’m sure that’s the case. We should study together for the final exams too.”

“Absolutely not.”

Even if Chika’s claim was right, he never wanted to do it again. Taking a test with such a restless feeling was no joke.

Chika tilted her head with a very curious look when Sōma stubbornly refused.

“Why not? We should do it again if studying with me improves your grades.”

“You’ll definitely do something outrageous if we do it, that’s for sure.”

“How could anything outrageous happen just by studying?”

“Have you forgotten about our last study session and the late-night phone call!?”

He couldn’t help but raise his voice to the puzzled Chika.

Then, instead of looking surprised or disheartened as he expected, she grinned like a wolf that had found its prey.

“Could it be that you were excited?”

“What?”

“I hadn’t heard what you think about it from you during our study session or about the photos, so I was a little curious. Don’t tell me… you got excited being close to me or looking at my photos?”

“No, that’s not…”

He was at a loss for words when pressed.

There’s no way he wouldn’t get excited after such an experience! He wanted to shout that out loud.

But it would only encourage her more to do those things if he did. That much was clear to see.

Besides, to clearly state it would be quite embarrassing.

He tried to think of a way to bluff his way out of it, but seeing Sōma falter, Chika seemed to become more convinced.

She smiled even more gleefully and had a carnivorous glint in her eye.

“You were really nervous, huh?”

The correct move was probably to make a run for it right then.

However, because of Chika’s arm that had somehow entwined itself around him, even that was no longer an option.

Rather, her grip was getting stronger.

“That’s right, let’s have a study camp.”

“A study camp?”

Her arm tightened around him like a snake constricting its prey.

“Yes. Just the two of us, working hard all day long.”

Her voice was sweet as she whispered in his ear.

“Sōma-san, from morning till night… I’ll provide thorough support to make sure you can concentrate on studying.”

“From morning till night…?”

As he felt a sense of despair, not only her arm but also her voice seemed to cling to him more insistently.

“When we study, I’ll sit close by and help you. During meals, I’ll feed you with an ‘ahh’. When it’s time for a bath, I’ll scrub your back. When it’s time to sleep, I’ll lie beside you and sing a lullaby. And of course, I’ll help you when you’re getting dressed.”

“That’s not a study camp anymore…”

It was clear that studying was not the goal. She just wanted to see him flustered, surprised, and embarrassed.

As he imagined it and felt his face turning red, Chika smiled a mature and satisfied smile.

“Really, you’re so cute, Sōma-san. If I can spend the whole day looking at the cute Sōma-san, I’ll take care of you as much as you need.”

“Please, give me a break.”

When Sōma raised his voice, almost on the verge of tears, Chika giggled happily.

Looking at her, he remembered the message from Miki earlier.

‘A wolf in sheep’s clothing? That’s a joke. The real predator is Chika. I’m just a pitiful lamb.’

He’ll have to tell Saito that she’s got the saying all wrong.

That is if he can ever get out of this predicament.