A wise man once said: Time is like a woman's chest… squeeze it, and you'll always find some.
This is the life of the vast majority of high school's seniors facing the gauntlet of the college entrance exams.
Burning the midnight oil, endless practice tests, they could recite every possible question type backward and forward.
Some went through a pen refill a day, grinding through entire workbooks. From their parents' generation to today's Gen Z, the memories of exam-takers have been passed down like an heirloom.
Legend has it that in the future, all you'll need to do is check whether someone has a callus on the first knuckle of their right middle finger to know if they studied hard in their school days.
Winter passed, spring came, and another ring was added to the tree of life. Though Logan was a transmigrator, he hadn't traveled back to some idyllic era.
After returning from Japan, he shouldered his heavy backpack once more and stepped through the gates of Fresno High School, blending in with the sea of uniformed students... which meant he had to continue writing the 'no-regrets youth' chapter of his senior year.
Life had truly settled into peace. Logan sat in the classroom, listening to the bell ring.
The train of thought chugged along, and before he knew it, eight packed class periods had vanished.
He had resolved the lingering knots from his Ninja World bonds. Itachi, though still frail, seemed determined to charge ahead regardless.
All Logan could do was watch. He couldn't keep meddling in others' lives forever, as those striving for their ideals had long since proven their paths through action.
Logan listened to composite functions, subject-verb-object clauses, electrical energy, kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy... The ever-changing, colorful chalkboard notes made his head spin. Maybe he should focus on how to actually pass the exams.
There was no way he could let Sumika get into college before him. His parents would actually murder him, and the sheer embarrassment would make him want to dive headfirst into a block of tofu.
Originally, Logan's grades had been decent, not top three in class, but solidly within the top thirty.
But after spending years as a Ninja and returning to textbooks, things weren't so smooth. Every trade had its master.
As a professional student, he could theoretically understand the material, unless it was completely incomprehensible.
After several rounds of city-wide mock exams, Logan's scores teetered just above the cutoff for college admission, perpetually at risk of slipping below.
His homeroom teacher had heart-to-hearts with him, and he earnestly expressed his determination to study hard, but the results were minimal.
At this stage, most students' performance had stabilized. Otherwise, Naruto's Fanfics might've already hit two million words.
After school, Logan grabbed David, who was about to leave, to borrow the day's notes.
Grade 3-A was nearly empty. The sky outside had dimmed slightly, and through the corridor windows, the campus paths were crowded with students heading to the cafeteria in pairs or groups.
The uniformity of their uniforms added weight to these final high school days. Even the usual chatter carried a lingering, distant quality.
"Borrow notes?" David rubbed his cheek, feeling the day's exhaustion had whittled away yet more of his youthful plumpness, "You're asking me?"
He glanced at the blank notebook on Logan's desk, then down at the one in his own hands, struck by both disbelief and a strange sense of honor, "This isn't like you."
"Whatever, I've got cram school. Remember to return the notes when you're done."
"..."
David had also shed some of his Chunibyo tendencies during the gauntlet of senior year review.
To gain an edge on the narrow bridge of the exams, he'd switched to off-campus study. Logan had no rebuttal. He could only watch as his friend slung his backpack over his shoulder and merged into the evening crowd, leaving behind what he probably thought was a cool, scholarly silhouette.
Sighing, Logan packed up to head home.
The college entrance exam was the nation's strictest and fairest test. But its anti-cheating measures were designed for ordinary students.
With his Chakra and Ninja skills, Logan could theoretically employ undetectable methods without issue.
Truthfully, he had considered it seriously, but ultimately dismissed the idea.
The exam was a turning point, after which too many people and things would diverge from their former paths.
It was an opportunity, but also a rite of passage. Logan wanted his original self in this world to experience it properly, as this was deeply personal.
Of course, he could afford to be this principled precisely because of his unique circumstances.
"Logan, is there... something from today's lesson you didn't understand?"
As he organized his things, a soft, slightly hesitant voice spoke up. Logan turned to see Diane clutching an oversized notebook.
"Ah, well, there is..." Logan admitted, the second half of his sentence fading into a mumble, "Just, like, all five subjects..."
"What?"
"Nothing." Logan waved it off, "Hey, can I borrow your notes? David said he missed a lot, and I want to check if I missed anything too."
"Sure!" Dieane agreed instantly, handing over the notebook she'd been hugging to her chest. A faint floral scent wafted from its pages.
"Thanks." Logan flipped through it, and saw neat, elegant handwriting with clean formatting.
A girl's notes were always pleasing to the eye. He'd planned to take them home, but Diane sat down beside him, seemingly intending to watch him work.
"..."
'Well, there goes my excuse of blaming David.'
"Heh." Logan forced a chuckle and started copying. Diane wasn't dumb, and she quickly caught on.
The atmosphere turned slightly awkward, but since everyone knew he and David were close friends, throwing him under the bus was no big deal. It's totally normal.
As he copied, Logan explained. Diane giggled, her face glowing under the sunset light reflecting through the window.
"Pfft… hahaha!"
'It wasn't that funny.' Logan watched her laugh a bit too long… probably exam stress.
"Aside from the lecture notes, are there problems you don't get either?"
'Some' was putting it politely. Logan admitted it freely. Diane, ever the model student, swiftly pinpointed his weak spots and offered guidance.
The school day had ended. The classroom was empty save for the unerased blackboard and the well-thumbed textbooks piled on every desk.
Quiet settled in, broken only by the occasional flutter of curtains and the soft scratch of pen on paper.
Borrowing notes had turned into a tutoring session. At one point, Logan looked up and realized the situation.
He set down his pen, "I just remembered… I've got something to do. I've got to head out."
"Oh... right, it is getting late."
Logan capped his pen and shelved his books. The girl hurriedly gathered her things, hugging her bag as she turned to leave. Her long hair swayed, revealing just a sliver of her face, "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
Scratching his head, Logan pushed in his chair, '...In such a rush.'
The sky outside grew increasingly dyed with sunset hues. Before leaving, he glanced at the front wall of the classroom, covered in motivational sticky notes and a two-digit countdown to the exams.
Everywhere was a microcosm. The youth of boys and girls rode the train of senior year, counting down the days as it carried them forward.