With the rumors of me dating Airi finally put to rest, the typical pre-exam tension began to permeate our school life.
Lessons had transitioned into full-blown intensive review sessions covering the material for the term-end tests. The students' idle chatter had vanished, replaced by conversations focused strictly on studying.
Well, except for two particular troublemakers.
"Hey, hey! Over summer break, I want to go bug catching and to festivals! Oh, and we definitely have to hit the pool!"
"I'm down, Airi. I was actually planning on picking up a new swimsuit this year anyway."
Airi and Yuria crowded around my desk every single break to obsess over their summer plans.
Usually, Rui Kuroki—the mediator of the trio of beauties—would have told them to get back to work. However, Rui was currently being bombarded with questions from other students begging for help with their studies, leaving her unable to join the conversation.
Taking advantage of her absence, Airi and Yuria spent the entire time talking about what they would do once the tests were over.
Airi was facing a ban from her part-time job if she flunked any subjects, and judging by Yuria’s behavior in class, her grades didn't exactly look stellar either. I wondered if I should be the one to step in and give them a lecture in Rui’s stead.
"Hey, you two. I get that you're excited for summer, but how’s the actual studying going?"
" "……" "
At my casual inquiry, the pair of them simultaneously wilted. They looked like they’d just been told the world was ending.
"H-Hey, what's with the hollow stares?"
"Ryouta, are you acting all composed just because you're on the Honor Roll?" Airi asked, referring to the top fifty students whose names were posted on the bulletin board.
"You couldn't possibly understand how it feels for people like Airi and me on the Flunk List," Yuria added, referring to the students who failed and had their names posted for a mandatory summons.
The two girls, who had been beaming with excitement moments ago, were now glaring at me with cold, dead eyes.
"N-No, I'm not saying it to criticize you or anything."
"I mean, must be nice being so smart, right, Ryouta? If you really pity us that much, why don't you donate some of your brain cells?"
"Even if I gave you some, Yuria, you still wouldn't use them to study."
"Did you hear that, Airi? He basically just called us idiots because we don't study."
"That's mean, Ryouta!"
"You're taking my words way too far!"
I honestly wondered how they'd managed to get into this school in the first place, given their utter disdain for academics. I had heard that Airi worked hard for the sake of her family, but I didn't know much about Yuria's background.
"Oh! I've got it! How about this? If Airi and I manage to pass every single one of our term-end tests, Ryouta has to do whatever we want during summer vacation!"
"Wait, what!?"
"That's a great idea! In that case, I'm making him my personal errand boy whenever I'm craving ice cream."
"What are you even saying, Yuria? That's not a 'plan' at all!"
"In that case... I think I'll have you carry my bags whenever I go shopping."
While we were arguing, Rui Kuroki had somehow slipped away from her group and approached my desk.
(Why does she always appear the second a conversation turns into something like this...? Good grief, this girl!)
"If that's the deal, then we really have to study. Let's do this, Airi!"
"Roger that~!"
Regardless of their motives, the two of them finally had a fire lit under them. They scurried back to their desks and cracked open their textbooks.
"Worked out well, didn't it, Ryouta-kun?"
"……W-Well, it's certainly flattering that beautiful girls like you want to hang out with me this summer, but is 'not failing' really the right motivation to study?"
"Fufu... You're as straight-laced as ever."
A mischievous, calculating smile spread across Rui's face.
"You'd better be ready to spend lots of time with me this summer, okay?"
S-Seriously, what's going to happen to my break?
A chaotic summer vacation was fast approaching.