Even with chuunibyou, let's learn together!

Page 103

Hayakawa fiddled with her hair, ignoring him, and focused her attention on the book in front of her.

"This exam is quite important; it's the last monthly exam before the midterms, and it will determine where students will be assigned to exam venues for the midterms,"

Kominami Aizami rested her face on the table, and suddenly the whole world in front of her appeared horizontal. She smiled at Hayakawa, who was lying horizontally, and said, "Can I pass the exam and surpass Furuhashi and Ogata this time?"

She had known them for a while and already knew about Furuhashi and Ogata's grades, as well as Hayakawa's grades. She also knew that Hayakawa taught them subjects they were not good at.

"The two of them,"

Hayakawa's gaze faltered for a moment, then he said softly, "It probably won't work."

Kominami Aizami noticed that Hayakawa was a little down, so she quickly said, "It's okay, as long as your grades improve, there's no need to compare yourself to others."

Hayakawa shook his head, then turned to look at Minami Aizawa and chuckled, saying, "It will rise."

The image of Natsukawa Masuzu appeared in his mind, along with his own ranking of third on the list.

Both the grades and the rankings will definitely improve this time.

Hayakawa thought to himself, and just like countless nights before, he lowered his head and looked at his textbook intently.

The night is getting darker.

……

"Let's play video games instead."

Doma Umaru casually tossed the book aside, grabbed a can of cola and some potato chips, and dashed to the game console, his eyes shining as he turned it on.

It turns out that studying before exams is just not for me; I'll just stay up all night playing games instead.

……

"Just work hard."

After greeting Furuhashi and Ogata, Hayakawa went to check his belongings.

The pen is fine, the scratch paper is fine... everything is ready.

Hayakawa packed everything into his bag and got up to head to the exam hall. This was his habit before every exam; he would feel terrible if he failed because he hadn't prepared his stationery.

As Hayakawa passed by the examination hall, he happened to see Natsukawa Masuzu, and his expression immediately turned serious.

Here it comes, the main objective of this exam is here.

"Humph!"

At the same time, Natsukawa Masuzu also noticed Hayakawa, and raised her chin to give Hayakawa a provocative look.

Since you won't agree to be my fake boyfriend, don't blame me for humiliating you badly with your grades.

Why should I ask you to give way!

Hayakawa understood her meaning, turned around and went into the classroom, a cold smile playing on his lips.

The enemy is arrogant and domineering, but I remain steadfast and unmoved.

"The test papers have been handed out."

The teacher on the stage took the exam papers out of the bag and distributed them to the students at the front of each row, and then passed them on to the students behind.

Hayakawa took the exam paper, his heart tightening slightly, but he tried to calm himself down and read it carefully.

It will rise.

He told himself this in his heart, and his heart gradually calmed down.

With such hard work, I'm sure I'll get a good result...

The exam started.

……

Ichinose Academy releases results incredibly quickly; the results list is posted the day after the first monthly exam, making it a school known for its rapid failures.

The results came out during lunch break the next day. As usual, Natsukawa Masaki went to the homeroom teacher and got her report card before the results were posted.

"Eh?"

When Natsukawa Masuzu saw the report card, she was stunned and found it hard to believe.

I actually dropped to third place.

Aside from those two geniuses who got perfect scores in every subject, is there anyone else who can score higher than me?

Could it be Hayakawa?!

Natsukawa Masaki was startled and quickly looked up.

If Hayakawa surpasses him, he will lose one more trump card and will find it harder to control him in the future.

Natsukawa Masuzu looked towards the second place and saw a name called "Doma Umaru," which immediately put her mind at ease.

This must be Hayakawa's childhood friend, right? There's been a rumor about her lately. I didn't expect her to be such a good student.

As long as it's not Hayakawa!

As long as it's not him who surpasses me, it doesn't matter who surpasses me, I don't really care about the results anyway.

Looking down, he saw that the name "Hayakawa Shiro" was indeed under his name.

"Hehe~"

Natsukawa Masaki watched, a malicious smile creeping onto his face.

You're the fourth one! You're the fourth one!

Natsukawa Masuzu picked up the report card and headed back to class to share the good news with Hayakawa.

After a month of hard work, his ranking actually dropped. He must be furious, he must be absolutely furious.

Thinking of Hayakawa's humiliated and resentful expression when she was angry, Natsukawa Masaki's pleasure increased exponentially.

We must find him immediately.

Natsukawa Masaki ran to the classroom in a few steps, but Hayakawa was nowhere to be seen.

The girl frowned slightly. She was about to go to the cafeteria to find him when she noticed her classmates walking out in groups, saying things like, "The results are out, go check them out!"

He's definitely on the leaderboard.

Xia Chuanzhen's eyes lit up and she immediately realized what was going on. She changed direction and ran towards the floor with the results list. Before long, she arrived in front of the list surrounded by a crowd.

"Hayakawa..."

As soon as Natsukawa Masuzu arrived, she saw Hayakawa. However, Hayakawa was on one side of the crowd, while she was on the other side, making it impossible for her to get through. In fact, amidst the throng of people, she couldn't even see Hayakawa's face clearly.

It's always like this when the results are released. Ichinose Academy has a strong academic atmosphere, so students who care about their grades will come to check them. As a result, the place is always packed with people when the results are released.

Being so close to the person she most wanted to see felt like being worlds apart; Natsukawa Masaki was frantic with worry.

Ahhh! I want to be by your side right now, Hayakawa.

"Give way."

At that moment, the teacher with the list arrived. He asked the students to make room for him, and Natsukawa Masuzu took the opportunity to squeeze forward and get a better look at Hayakawa's face.

The report cards were posted, and every first-year high school student could see their grades and rankings, prompting gasps of surprise.

Natsukawa Masuzu didn't even glance at the report card, but instead tried to stand on tiptoe to see Hayakawa's expression, with a mischievous grin.

Hurry up and get angry so I can break down her defenses, then I'll go over and pretend to comfort her, and finally easily win over Miss Chengben's slave.

As Natsukawa Masaki thought to herself, she licked her pink lips.

So in her eyes, Hayakawa looked up at himself on the report card, his eyes filled with expectation.

However, in the next moment, he saw everything clearly.

As if his expectations had been dashed, his raised eyebrows drooped like branches battered by wind and rain, and a quiet sense of loneliness appeared on the boy's face.

"..."

The smile on Natsukawa Masaki's face vanished, replaced by confusion, and she stopped pushing forward.

Hayakawa turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

Chapter 142 Exhausted, Both Physically and Mentally

Hayakawa's figure disappeared into the crowd in an instant, while Natsukawa Masuzu stood there, staring blankly in that direction.

She looked blank, as if she didn't understand.

In an instant, she seemed to lose interest in the ranking list in front of her. She took a few steps in the direction Hayakawa had left, but was blocked by the dense crowd. She could only retreat somewhat in annoyance and return to her class.

Upon entering the classroom, Natsukawa Makoto still didn't see Hayakawa. She returned to her chair, looked at the empty seat next to her, pursed her pink lips, and remained silent.

It was lunchtime, but she wasn't hungry at all, probably because she wanted to eat the bread that someone had brought for her.

But where are the people who were supposed to bring themselves bread?

"..."

As Natsukawa Masaki thought about the fleeting glimpse she had just caught in the crowd—the boy's lowered eyelids and melancholy gaze—she couldn't calm her mind.

She lowered her head, listlessly looking at her textbook.

After some time, when some of the people who had lunch around returned, Natsukawa Masuzu suddenly seemed to remember something and stood up abruptly.

She glanced around warily, and after making sure no one was watching her, she stepped out of the classroom and ran towards the stairs in one direction.

She wondered where Hayakawa would go; he would go there whenever he was sad.

Natsukawa Masaki climbed a staircase to the top floor and arrived at the door to the rooftop. Hesitantly, he unlatched the latch and gently pushed open the light green metal door. Instantly, strong sunlight slanted down from outside, and a refreshing breeze rushed in.

Natsukawa Masaki carefully stepped onto the rooftop. The dazzling sunlight made her squint. Looking ahead through the blinding light, she saw a horse-shaped cloud drifting silently in the wind, quiet and monotonous, much like her mechanical fate.

Beneath the horse-shaped cloud, a bench stood on the edge of the rooftop, and Hayakawa lay there quietly, one arm shielding his face from the sunlight, seemingly asleep.

His face was somewhat blurred in the golden light, and above him was a bright and sunny day.

Under a clear blue sky, the clouds have cleared away, and at the edge of the sky, a winding gray line stretches out, marking the endless expanse of the city.

For a moment, Natsukawa Masaki was briefly caught in a state of shock and bewilderment.

She walked forward with unsteady steps, even forgetting to control the sound of her footsteps. Fortunately, Hayakawa was fast asleep and was not awakened.

When Natsukawa Masuzu came to Hayakawa's side, she felt that the air around her was heavy and viscous like mercury. She looked at Hayakawa's peaceful sleeping face and listened to his light and slow breathing, which seemed extremely faint and almost inaudible in the air.

"..."

She gazed at the sleeping Hayakawa for a long time, at his slender and upright figure, her heart in turmoil.

The autumn of Natsukawa Masaki's 16th year ended quietly.

……

"Next, we will recognize the students who achieved excellent results in this monthly exam."

The huge auditorium was packed with people. Students in school uniforms stood on the light brown wooden floor. The principal stood on the podium holding a list, and his voice, amplified by the microphone and the loudspeaker, reached everyone's ears: "Fumino Furuhashi from Class 1-A, and Rizu Ogata from Class 1-C, please give them a round of applause!"

A deafening round of applause filled the auditorium, and Hayakawa, standing in the crowd, looked up at the stage, clapping along with everyone else.

He heard some of the students around him yawning and complaining about when it would end.

Yes, when will this end?

Fumino Furuhashi and Rizu Ogata went on stage. They first received certificates and gifts from the principal. Then, Furuhashi somewhat awkwardly took the microphone, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'm very happy to have this opportunity to share my study methods with everyone... As the saying goes, 'constant dripping wears away a stone'... as long as you work hard..."

The broadcast echoed in the auditorium, and Hayakawa listened quietly to her speech, though he couldn't make out her voice clearly.

Beside the ancient bridge, Fang Lizhu, who was a head shorter than her, tiptoed slightly and scanned the students below. Finally, her eyes lit up when she spotted Hayakawa standing in the corner. She then pretended to move her body and secretly waved her hand in his direction, her pink face filled with an undisguised smile.

Hayakawa paused for a moment, then his lips trembled slightly before he smiled softly.

……

When the school bell rang, Hayakawa picked up his schoolbag and walked out of the classroom.

Natsukawa Masuzu immediately followed behind and, as expected, found that he did not go to the library as usual, but went directly to the school gate.